The NeverEnding Dream Syndrome
by TesubCalle
Summary: Animated MIB fic. Bit of a barebones tale that tries to explain an animation error in 'The Elle of My Dream Syndrome'. Can Kay snap Elle out of a comatose dreamstate?


Disclaimer: MIB: The Animated Series and its associated characters are the property of those who created them and distribute them to your TVs…that would probably be Columbia TriStar Television, I guess. I am making zero dollars for this story. 'The Elle of My Dream Syndrome' was written by Greg Weisman, so thanks to him for this story, and the animators, whose inadvertent glitch gave birth to this story idea. 

A few explanations are in order for this tale. (meaning, read THIS before you read my story!)

 An episode titled 'The Elle of My Dream Syndrome' had our Agents in black Kay, Jay and Elle battling some nasty space vermin called Vermax. NASA astronauts encountered them, and were made victims of them. These 'bugs' would attach themselves to a victim's brain stem and suck them dry of a chemical the brain naturally produces in a dream state. To keep the victim dreaming, the Vermax would release a narcotic to keep the dreams 'pleasant'. That way the victim would never willingly wake.

 Jay became a Vermax victim, and Elle entered his dream using an alien mind-infiltrator to try to wake him. In the story, she was apparently successful when she allowed the Vermax to shoot her with the Cricket, thereby forcing Jay to 'destroy' the Vermax. See, when using the alien technology, whatever happens in the dream world happens for real – including death. 

The astute eye will note that when Elle snaps on the mind-infiltrator, she is wearing her medical scrubs. When she enters Jay's dream, she is wearing her classic MIB black jacket and tie. When she wakes after Jay destroys the Vermax, she is STILL wearing her black jacket and tie. The two talk afterwards outside on a bench, and the story ends.

This is obviously an animator error. Elle should have awakened wearing her medical scrubs…if she really DID awaken…

Here is my tale explaining what actually happened!

The NeverEnding Dream Syndrome

The night was cool, yet comfortable. Agents Elle and Jay sat together on a bench in companionable silence. They had been sitting together for some time now, seemingly with nothing to talk about, and no assignments to complete. No missions to bring down the 'scum of the universe'. If it seemed strange that Zed was allowing them such an amazingly ridiculous amount of leisure time, the thought did not occur to Elle. She was enjoying this respite, as she was a bit tired from her most recent mission. Perhaps Jay was too. 

But at the back of her mind, Elle was aware of something terrible gathering, like dark, angry clouds before a hurricane. Was this time of peace and stillness she was experiencing like the calm before the storm? The thought was so fleeting it barely registered on her consciousness. 

"Elle?" 

From what seemed like a very long distance away, Elle thought she heard someone call her name. For the first time in what must have been an eternity, Elle shifted her position and turned her head to search for the person who had called her. 

"Elle!" 

The voice sounded closer this time. A silhouette appeared through some trees behind Elle. Jay continued to sit quietly, and seemed not to hear the voice. 

"Hello?" Elle called in response. The silhouette was now approaching her at a swift pace. 

"Elle, _there_ you are!" it said.

Elle now recognized the voice. 

"Kay! What are you doing here?"

Kay was suddenly closer to Elle than she realised. Standing now right in front of her when he had at first seemed so far off, set Elle slightly off-guard. But she let the obvious slip in perception go. She was apparently more tired than she realised. 

"I've come to try to help you, Elle," Key said in his serious, deep voice.

"Hey, what's _he_ doing here?" Jay suddenly turned around.

Kay ignored his partner. 

"Elle, you have to listen to me, and you have to believe what I say is true-"

A sudden flash of lighting immediately accompanied by a deafening crack of thunder startled the trio of agents.

Elle gasped and doubled over, clutching her midsection. 

"Elle!" Kay said, an edge of concern creeping into his voice.

"I - I'm – alright, Kay," Elle said, righting herself, "I guess that last mission took a bit more out of me than I thought."

"That's just it, Elle – _your last mission._ What do you remember about it?"

"Well you were there for part of it, Kay. You know we were trying to exterminate the Vermax those astronauts encountered. Then Jay was attacked by one, and I had to enter his dream to try to wake him."

"And what happened?" Kay pressed.

Now Elle was perplexed. "Kay – you were there when Jay and I woke up. We defeated the bug that was keeping Jay in his coma. After that I was able to wake the astronauts up. Once I knew the trick, it was easy slipping in and out of their dreams."

"Elle, please listen…you only _think_ you woke up. You did not enter the astronauts dreams," Kay said.

"You're wrong, Kay," Elle said, shaking her head. "I did. They're all awake. They're doing fine."

"No, Elle, think about it. In your medical opinion, how much damage would those bugs' stamens do after being inserted into a human being's brain stem? Look at the back of Jay's head, for instance."

Jay raised an eyebrow. 

"Turn around, Slick," Kay commanded. Jay complied, and Elle ran a hand along the nape of his neck. There was no bandage or visible wound.

"Shouldn't there at least be a mark or sign that the Vermax attacked Jay?" Kay asked gently.

"I don't understand," Elle said, frowning. 

"That's because _this_ is a _dream_, Elle," Kay said firmly, "and this is _not_ the real Agent Jay."

"Hold up a minute!" Jay protested. "I _am_ Jay!"

"No, you're not," Kay said calmly. "You're only part of Elle's dream. The _real_ Jay is in MIB infirmary, recovering from his coma. He's also got a nasty 'bug-bite' at the back of his head."

"But…that can't be…I – he – we woke up! Jay blasted the Vermax, and we woke up!" Elle objected. 

"Agent Jay woke up, Elle," Kay said. "You didn't. Try to remember, Elle. Think back to when you first put on the Muhrrtogg Mind-Infiltrator device…what were you wearing? "

"My medical scrubs," Elle answered immediately.

"And what were you wearing when you 'woke up'?"

"My med – I…" Elle looked down and saw she was garbed in her dark jacket and tie instead of her white medical coat. 

Another sudden blinding flash of lightning and ear-splitting crash of thunder startled the agents again. A violent wind whipped through them. Elle cried out and fell to her knees, cradling her chest. 

"Elle!" Both agents Kay and 'Jay' cried out in unison. 

Kay knelt down beside her and placed an arm around her shoulders.

"I – don't know what's wrong with me, Kay," Elle gasped. Lightning flashed again, and more wind gushed around them. Kay looked up in alarm, and saw dark, threatening clouds swirling overhead.

"Jay – the _real _Jay," Kay said, eyeing the dream counterpart of his partner, "was able to tell us what happened, Elle. He said you were blasted by the Cricket when the Vermax tried to kill you."

Elle nodded. "I thought it was the only way to snap Jay out of that nightmare."

"When that happened, out in the real, waking world, you crashed, Elle. Your vital signs were non-existent," Kay said seriously, in a lame attempt at emotional detachment.

"But I woke up! Jay's dream ended, and we were okay."

"No, Elle," Kay countered. "You know that whatever happens - when you use the damned Mind-Infiltrator in dreams - happens for real. When you took that direct hit from the Cricket, you went into full cardiac arrest. The medical staff fought to bring you back. You, your – real self – remains in a coma."

"So, this is a dream?" Elle asked. "How did _you_ get here, Kay?"

Kay shifted uncomfortably. He suddenly put both arms around Elle. The wind was becoming sharper, and bitterly cold. 'Jay' seemed not to notice. A drop of rain fell and landed on Elle's shoulder. Another followed, and soon a torrent was pouring down on them.

Elle looked directly at Kay. "How did you get here?!" she demanded.

"You weren't waking up, Elle," he responded slowly. "They – they were going to give up on you…"

The bench Elle and Jay had been sitting on was suddenly picked up and blown across the sky by the violent winds. Lightning struck the trees behind them. 

"You're dying, Elle. Your brain, your organs, are shutting down. They were going to 'pull the plug' on you…said there was no hope," Kay trembled as he spoke to Elle. "I fought with Zed for this. I convinced him to let me try to reach you. I'm using the Mind-Infiltrator to communicate with you now."

"But Kay, that's too risky! What happens if I die while you're still here? Go back, now! Before you end up like me… Don't make me take you with me!" Elle was on the verge of hysteria. It was becoming almost impossible to hear with the howling of the wind and the pounding of the rain.

"No, Elle! I came to try to help you wake up. Up to this point, you thought you were awake while your real self was comatose. You have to try now, to make a conscious decision to wake up. Try, Elle!"

Elle seemed not to have heard him. She instead slumped silently in his arms.

"Elle!" Kay cried desperately, "Please, come back to us! You've got to pull through. Wake up!!"

More thunder crashed as if in reply to Kay's cries. He was straining against the wind now, holding on to Elle as tightly as he dared. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw 'Jay' tossed upwards and out of sight. Kay was determined not to let the wind claim Elle.

"Please, Elle, don't give up! I won't let you go!" Kay screamed, trying to be heard over the wind. "_Wake up_!!"

A lightning strike directly in front of them overwhelmed Kay. 

* * *

Kay opened his eyes slowly. Bright overhead lights were blinding him. 

"Kay? You alright?"

Zed's face and large figure came into focus above him, mercifully blocking the intense lights of the MIB infirmary. 

"Where is Elle?" Kay asked frantically. He sat up swiftly, and shoved the Mind-Infiltrator helmet device off his head. To his left on a hospital bed lay Elle. 

"Is she - ?" Kay asked.

"She's regained consciousness, Kay. Well done, son." Zed commended. 

Kay approached Elle slowly, and put a hand over hers. Her eyes opened slowly, and she smiled when she saw him.

"Thank you," she mouthed, her voice an imperceptible whisper. She closed her eyes again, and drifted back to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Elle," Kay said softly, and quietly left the room.

END


End file.
